When it's 4:00 in the morning and you're craving a greasy plate of food your options can feel pretty limited. But, beyond fast food chains and mini-mart hot dogs, there are still plenty of quality restaurants for those in search of an off hours meal. These 12 places from across the country have all received praise for offering top notch 24 hour dining.

Broward-Palm Beach

Tacos al Carbon

Not only does Tacos al Carbon serve authentic Mexican soul food good enough to grace the table of any proud abuelita; it's also open 24 hours a day, meaning that sweet release never has to wait. More >>

John Linn

"Let's face it, a little grease after a midnight drinking binge never hurt nobody."

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Whether you need a daily dose of food porn, have a go-to site for recipes or just want to be distracted by some delicious writing/pictures for a bit, there's probably a blog you'll peruse. While there are innumerable blogs about all things culinary floating around the internets, we've compiled a list of the top food blogs (other than us, of course) to check out when you're looking for a foodie fix.

1) Amateur Gourmet

​The lovely and talented Adam Roberts runs this blog about the New York food scene, as well as his cooking adventures (and sometimes misadventures). An inspiration to ambitious home cooks as well as general food bloggers, this internet oasis is a mix of information, humor, videos and awesome comic book-style posts.

Recent posts we liked (and one old one you HAVE to see):
Chutzpah, Truffles & Alain Ducasse (the one you HAVE to see)
Do-it-yourself Dumplings
How to Host a Vegetarian Dinner Party

While still mourning Conan O'Brien's departure from the network that shall not be spoken of, we're considering making some of these recipes in his honor while anxiously awaiting his television return this September. Fork you Leno!

1) Piña Colada

From elgin.jessica's flickr stream

​Only if made with Coco Lopez of course. We would like to rename it "Team Coco Lopez," but we're pretty sure the company's not down with that.

Recipe from drinksmixer.com:
1 1/2 oz light rum
2 oz Coco Lopez® cream of coconut
2 oz pineapple juice
1 cup crushed ice

Blend until smooth with one cup of ice, and garnish with a slice of pineapple and a maraschino cherry. Get soused and walk around the mall burning an effigy of the large-chinned man that just won't go away.

With the New Orleans Saints heading for their first ever Super Bowl appearance, it seemed only fitting that we pay tribute to the city known for its incredible food. We've rounded up some of the best places in the country (outside of New Orleans) for scoring first-rate Cajun cuisine, and each of these nine restaurants have received local recognition for delivering nothing but the best when it comes to Cajun.

Broward-Palm Beach

Rosey Baby Crawfish & Cajun House

If you plan to take action on the advice given in any of these Best Of selections, let it be this: Run this instant to Rosey Baby Crawfish & Cajun House. Sit at one of the half-dozen bar tables. Order a bucket of crawfish boil; they come in one-, two-, and five-pound sizes. More >>

"This spicy little number feels like a New Orleans bar mysteriously picked up and planted in Lauderhill."

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Supposedly named after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich in England after he ordered slices of meat between two pieces of bread to keep his hands grease-free for the game of cribbage in which he was immersed, this global tradition has probably existed since Neolithic times when bread was invented. Just a tip of the iceberg, here's a small list of some global versions of a universal comfort food.

1) Bánh Mì or Bánh Mỳ

​A harmonious marriage of French and Asian cultures, the bánh mì usually contains pickled carrots and radishes, cucumbers, cilantro, chilis and either meat (usually pork or Vietnamese sausage) or tofu with pâté and mayonnaise artfully piled into a crunchy-crusted baguette.

Say all you want about the merits of fine dining and celebrity chefs, there's still no substitute for good old fashioned home cookin'. Sometimes a fancy reduction or lobster three ways can't hold a candle to a hearty plate of chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. Fortunately, in these instances, there are still plenty of great restaurants to choose from.

These 10 restaurants from all across the country have each received local praise for delivering outstanding comfort food:

Broward-Palm Beach

Lola's on Harrison

Chef Michael Wagner knows there's more to American classics than chicken wings and turkey dinners. There are potatoes, for instance. And Coke. But what he does with corn dogs and hamburger meat goes well beyond anything your mama would recognize from her recipe-card file: Potato skins at Lola's...More >>

Outside Lola's on Harrison

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Why not birthday cake, you traditionalist conservatives may ask. It's quintessential, iconic, celebratory, American, even. Well, assuming you'll have many birthdays, wouldn't it be acceptable to try something different for at least one of those? Perhaps these alternatives to a traditional birthday cake will strike your fancy for the next day-of-birth celebration in your future.

1) Cupcakes

​Perhaps these are just smaller versions of birthday cake you argue, but that's where the imagination can take flight. Add "weird" stuff like bacon, douse them with liquor or have a frosting/toppings bar so everyone can make their own version.

Sometimes it's easy to thumb your nose at buffet dining and dismiss it as being unhealthy, low-quality or just generally beneath you. However, there are plenty of exceptions to the buffet stigma that prove all-you-can-eat doesn't have to be a Sizzler-esque experience. There's something magical about exercising your right to pursue happiness in the form of limitless food, and these 14 places from across the country manage to help satisfy that urge while still allowing you to keep your dignity in-tact.

Broward-Palm Beach

Pier Top Lounge at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66

To discover a truly dazzling buffet, you have to go to the heavens, and on Sundays, the glass elevator at Pier 66 takes you there. Pier Top is on the 18th-floor, rotating observation deck of the iconic Hyatt Regency Pier 66. Call it "brunch" if you like, but this is really a celebration of all...More >>

Dallas

Fadi's Mediterranean Grill

Their motto is "eat like a sultan," and if sultans had to pick up their own trays and silverware, we'd believe it. Start at the beginning and work your way through this beautifully presented buffet of fresh Mediterranean specialties...More >>

Inside Fadi's Mediterranean Grill (Dallas)

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There aren't many things better this time of year for warming your tummy than a big glass of red wine. Most wine drinkers opt for big reds during the winter because of their hearty qualities and dense, dark flavor profiles. Having a glass of Chardonnay doesn't have the same appeal when you are hanging out in front of the blazing fireplace, as snow blankets the landscape. But choosing the right wine can be confusing for some people because there are so many American red wines on the shelves these days. Here's a look at several domestic red vintages that are guaranteed to make your toes curl in delight this winter.

1) Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 ($13)

​Columbia Crest Winery produces some of the best wines in Washington. This Columbia Valley winery is well-known for its luscious Cabernet Sauvignons. (Wine Spectator magazine recently gave Columbia Crest's 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon a coveted number one rating.) The winery's 2007 Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon is an affordable wine that is widely available in the U.S. This medium-bodied red wine is relatively silky and mild on the palate, but it intensifies as it races down the sides of your tongue. Its chocolaty cherry essence gives way to a pronounced cassis flavor, followed by a slightly spicy finish.

Hearty food seems to be the norm when it comes to menus at ski resorts. It's frickin' cold out there, and you are burning some serious calories blazing down the slopes on your newly waxed skis or snowboard. So, something hot and filling (a carbo-load of sorts) usually fits the bill when you get hungry after hitting the slopes. North American ski resorts and ski areas, in general, offer a plethora of dining options, with everything from bomb-bomb burritos to fine après cuisine. Check out these popular winter spots that are known to have good food, not to mention lots of fresh powder.

1) Whistler-Blackcomb, British Columbia

​The combined resort areas of Whistler and Blackcomb are soon to be overrun with people flocking to this western British Columbian resort community for the 2010 Winter Olympics--to take place next month. This skiing/snowboarding hotspot, not far from downtown Vancouver, is famous for its crazy vertical runs, but the area also is known for its good grub. Here you will find everything from contemporary Northwest to Greek to Chinese to fancy French fare, and every other cuisine in-between. Dining at Whistler happens in seven different areas, including Whistler Village, Blackcomb Mountain, Village North, and Creekside, to name a few. Check out Araxi and Bearfoot Bistro at the bustling Whistler Village. Each fall the area holds a food and wine festival, called Cornucopia, so it's safe to say that foodies abound in this place.